


Paper Cranes

by Anonymous



Category: HetaOni, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Cookie's HetaOni, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Novelization, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Shipping Optional
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-11-01 15:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17869850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: In a bid to 'build trust', ten Nations from the World Meeting visit a supposedly haunted house, and things quickly fall apart. The hunters become the hunted; it becomes a game of survival.





	1. Preface/Prologue

With permission, this is a fan-novelization of Cookie's HetaOni.

Cookie's HetaOni is a recreation of the original version, starting from the beginning all the way to their original ending. It follows the main story with their own variations.

I, the author of this fan-novelization, will be making my own edits to the story to fit with the flow and avoid some plot holes to the best of my ability.

To those that have seen, read, watched, or played HetaOni (original or otherwise), I kindly ask you not to spoil things for those who have  _not_. Please let them enjoy the story at their leisure.

* * *

This is a novelization I have not posted anywhere else, nor do I plan to post anywhere else. The author is anonymous for my own sanity,  _not_ for people to re-post. A novelization this may be,  _I_ have still spent the time and effort to write this.

If I ever have plans to post this story elsewhere, you will be notified. Otherwise, if this has been posted anywhere else, it is not me and I ask you to inform the re-poster to take it down.

[ This story is not posted anywhere else except on AO3. ]

* * *

Ao Oni © Noprops

HetaOni Original Version © Tomoyoshi

Cookie's HetaOni © Cookie [[Playthrough](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sFkzWxB31g)]

Paper Cranes © [Anonymous] - Myself

* * *

 

_A deserted house on the mountains, about three hours on foot from the world summit’s location. No one knows how long its been there or who used to live in it._

_Rumours had said that it was haunted._

 

\--------------

 

“Everyone, I have an announcement!”

“Oh? Now when most have left already, _Amérique_?”

“It’d be better if it was just us – another way for us to get along, y’know?”

“Spit it out. I have other things to do. Like changing out of this uniform in this bloody temperature.”

“Alright, so – apparently there’s this house in the east.”

“Really, America? Houses in a modern world?”

“It’s not just any house! It’s a _haunted_ house. Now, we all know haunted houses build trust.”

“Ve? Really?”

“Trust exercises? I don’t think any of us are untrustworthy, да?”

“A haunted house sounds _awesome_.”

“…America. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“You got it! Today’s the best day to check this place out – we can remind ourselves that the wars are a terrible idea even if we weren’t really for it so we can say ‘no’ next time!”

“…Really. _You_ want to visit a haunted house for the 100th anniversary of World War II in an attempt to help us _bond_?”

“It’s a great idea, right?”

“It’s not an all-bad idea, aru.”

“Fine. This better not be a joke, though.”

“ _Oh_? Are we in agreement, then?”

“Japan? You haven’t said anything this whole time, aru.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“It sounds exciting!”

“Also, it’s a-three-hour-walk.”

“ _What._ ”

“We have vehicles.”

“I know, I know – but it _is_ haunted _and_ it’s in the mountains, so this is part of the mystery. I don’t really know, which is why we need to check it out!”

“I’m opposed to this.”

“Germany! It’s a one-time thing!”

“It’s nine-to-one, West.”

“ _Eight_ - _to_ - _two_ –“

“At this rate, make it seven-to-three.”

“We’ve already agreed, да?”

“Y-yeah, fine, alright.”

“Let’s go then –“

“Wait, wait, _wait_. This is _America’s_ idea. We need someone to confirm this place that isn’t the idiot himself.”

“Let us go, да? If it is true, the ‘Axis’ can follow up on us.”

“I don’t want to waste my time checking out a bloody rumour unless it confirmed.”

“Welcome to the team, _Angleterre_!”

“What the –“

“Ve~! We’ll wait here then and get ready!”

“There’s bloody _four_ of you, wouldn’t it be more efficient –“

“Let’s go let’s go let’s go!”

“Um, can we at least change –“

“Change on the way, bro! We got plenty of time.”

“Three bloody hours – _in front of the frog?”_

“Awesome. Just let us know, alright? We’ll get stuff ready and bring them along for everyone.”

“Don’t forget to send a message!”

 

\--------------

 

_You cannot easily set foot in this rumoured, mysterious mansion located in the outskirts of town. It is said if you anger its former occupant, you won’t get away lightly…_

_Especially if there’s no one there._


	2. 1: Echoes

“Ve~! It's been so long with no answer! They promised they’d send something but there’s been nothing so it must be really nice for them to forget and –“

A sigh.

“Italy, there are better things to do than find a 'haunted house' that needs to be _walked to_ just to find the others. They will return if they want to.”

“C'mon, West. It’ll be fun! We already killed time by going to the mall and the market – what else is there to do here? Back me up, Japan.”

“I admit I am curious about this rumour, but I do not see the point in wasting such time for it.”

“Awesome. Three-to-one, West.”

“Germany~! Let's go!”

“Eugh – fine. Japan, take a napkin or cloth or blanket or five and just – pack it into Italy’s bag. If Italy bursts into tears, we're gonna need to deal it somehow…”

“Hai.”

 

\--------------

 

Japan was no stranger to homes hidden away in mountains, but this was a time for firsts. They were nearing the third hour of their trek and there was no sign of the Allies _or_ the rumoured mansion. Prussia often scouted ahead of them and Japan was sure if he heard one of the Allies’ names without a response again, he would throw himself off the desolate path.

Germany, to his surprise, was fairing far worse than him. The normally-composed Nation looked like he would fall apart if a breeze blew by. Italy’s constant pestering would normally get a less-than-pleasant response, but Germany seemed to be in his own world.

“ _West!”_ And that was Prussia taking charge. “Get over here!”

“Please keep Italy from falling off the path.” Germany heaved another sigh.

That was the thirteenth since they left, and Japan was bored enough to count. He dipped his head. “Hai.” Germany ran off, footfalls heavy against the deserted path, leaving Japan and Italy in their own side of the mountain.

Japan directed his eyes to the sky; the direction they aimed for was East. The sun filtered in from behind him, heat dispersing from the spotted, cloudy sky. “This is the correct direction, at least…” _This was a terrible waste of time._

“Japan!” Someone tackled him from behind and wrapped their arms around him. Japan stared at them blankly. “Ahh, are you okay?” Italy asked, fixing the skewed silk hat on his head to ‘block out the sun’.

“Yes, Italy-san.” _Simply wondering how did I let myself become involved in this…_

Italy fiddled with a candy wrapper in his hands, distinctly blue-and-pink against the greens and browns of the landscape around them. “Promise?” Italy’s gaze seemed to harden for a moment and Japan felt something shift around them. “It’s just that you seem distracted.”

“Ah.” Italy was oddly attentive at the moment. “I was just wondering how I was involved in joining this, seeing that I had already declined China-san’s offer earlier.”

Italy smiled brightly at him. “I see. But isn’t it nice, being with friends?”

“… I suppose.” Something about Italy made him want to drop his usual defences, even if Italy was one of his closer friends. “I still feel we could have done something else other than a haunted house.” He sighed, craning his head back upwards. “It’s almost been three hours.”

“Ah! Are you tired, Japan?” Italy stuck his hand into the bag he was carrying. “I have a tent and sleeping bags and pasta – do you want your clothes? I’m sure wearing your suit is making it really hot – I have our meeting clothes and regular –“

“It’s alright, Italy-san, thank you.” While they all had their own bags, Italy’s was a hyperspace that Japan did not want to touch. He was definitely expecting a sleepover in an abandoned house and Japan didn’t have the heart to dissuade him. He wasn’t sure why Italy brought their _clothes_ of all things before deciding that the answer might not be worth it.

His phone beeped and they both took a curious peer at the screen; a message from Prussia.

_‘We can see something and West’s being a pansy. Get over here before he uses you two as an excuse’_

Japan tapped a reply back as Italy was rocking excitedly on his heels. “There is something here! Let’s _go~_!”

Italy clapped his hands over one of Japan’s own before running off. “ _Italy-san!_ ” There were numerous winding turns upcoming. Italy was clumsy. Japan did not feel like being shouted at.

He sighed (his twelfth) and sprinted after the hyperactive Nation.

 

\--------------

 

“Ve~! So it really does exist!” Italy jumped up to beside Germany, smiling brightly at the house.

Japan wished he could be share the sentiment. “I thought it was just a rumour. To think we’d actually find it…”

“Awesome! It feels pretty desolate, though,” Prussia responded. “I guess that’s to be expected in a house on a mountain.”

Germany’s sigh was audible despite Italy’s cheerful blabbering.  “It doesn’t look very interesting to me…”

“I agree with Germany-san.” Immensely. The chase after Italy was far more exciting due to the adrenaline of not wanting him to fall off – this place would kill him with boredom. A generic door. Dull gray that couldn’t decide if it was some sort of stone or a terrible paint job. The windows were exclusive to what seemed to be a second floor and they were barred. The place just seemed unlived in. “If possible, I’d like to explore it only from the outside.”

“Eeh~? Even after we went through the trouble to find it?” Italy pointed out. “Let’s at least see how it looks on the inside!”

Japan exhaled quietly. He brought up a good point, even if it was borderline trespassing. Even it was abandoned, it didn’t mean the land didn’t belong to someone.

Italy jiggled the door handle and it noiselessly swung open and he took a glance at the others before stepping in.

“I’m dreading this place already,” Germany muttered. Japan hummed in agreement as the three of them followed inside.

Wooden floors. Wooden staircase. Wooden doors. The same dull, gray colour from outside. _What a wonderful haunted house._ America had never been a reliable source for rumours. It was still ridiculous that they all followed.

Italy dropped his bag on the floor. “It’s cleaner than I thought.”

“A-alright. We’ve seen it. Let’s head back.” Germany was scowling at the whole interior.

His brother grinned instead, stepping up to the staircase and setting one foot on the first step. “What’s the matter, West? Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

A loud cracking noise made their attention swivel to the right hallway – a terrible attempt at a jump scare. Italy peered curiously to the hallway and Germany took a step back.

“Huh.” Prussia straightened his clothes. “You think that’s them trying to scare us?”

Italy cocked his head. “Eh? But they didn’t send anything! Were they expecting us to come here anyway?”

Absolutely ridiculous. “I’ll go take a look.” With the amount of horror games he'd played and America's constant invitation for horror movies, he had developed an immunity for simple 'scares' long ago. “I won't be long.”

Prussia waved at him casually. “Be careful, Japan. And give them a scare for us!”

Their voices eventually faded from hearing and he couldn’t help but frown. The hallway was long and bland with their cream colouring and lack of windows. The light fixtures were dull and far apart enough that when he turned back behind him, he couldn’t even see the others anymore, just a coating of black shadow over the path.

He spotted a door and pressed a hand lightly on the handle, shaking his head when it jiggled but refused to open. _Onwards, then_.

The next dull light fixture introduced him to a kitchen with a cheerful yellow light, proudly showing off the kitchen’s state. The counters were clean, there were fresh fruits and vegetables in crates, the cabinets shut and the glass perfectly maintained, lacking dust in any sort of way. There was another door beside the fruits, locked as well. It was chronically unlived in.

 _Is this place truly abandoned?_ He was going insane from the repetition of the question.

His eyes fluttered to the counter once more and saw several bottles near the edge, eyes narrowing to the ground and he cautiously stepped forward, kneeling carefully against the tiled floor as he picked up a large shard of red glass, inspecting the torn label.

“Wine bottle,” he murmured, standing up to avoid staining his clothes from the red liquid of Italian wine. “Are any of you here?” He asked in a normal tone of voice. Silence greeted him like an old friend. “Please don’t throw any more bottles.” If his outfit – a gracious gift from Taiwan during the Harvest Festival – was stained in any way, he was going to kill them.

The chair didn’t move. The tiny shards of glass on the floor didn’t elevate. The crates didn’t shake. The tap didn’t turn on. _Fantastic._ He had some blame for this. If he had decided to be more rigid in his choices…

 _No point in dwelling now._ He kept the shard on him to show the others what made the noise. He wasn’t sure what caused it to fall, but things like opening a door or stomping on a step of a staircase could do wonders in balance.

 _Nothing to worry about._ His steps echoed lightly against the wood and he winced at the sound. A Nation he was, it didn't mean he had his own worries and irrational fears. He'd played enough video games to know what could possibly happen.

_Paranoid._

He pressed his hand on the door in the hallway again. Still locked. Japan wasn’t sure if he liked that or not. He fiddled with the broken shard as his eyes focused on the foyer that they had been in as the cloak of shadow was pulled. Empty and devoid of life, just as if they were never here.

_I wonder if they already went outside._

Pinpricks of frustration poked at him. The Allies weren’t here, then they had to come to find nothing but a boring mansion hidden away in the mountainside, and then they left him alone in the house. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a napkin, wrapping the broken shard in it as he stepped towards the door. He’d deal with the frustration later.

His hand pressed onto the handle of the door.

It wouldn’t open.

…

He grasped the handle and pressed firmly.

No movement.

Japan blinked. “Is this suppose to be a game?”

The wind didn’t respond.

Japan exhaled deeply. This… was no longer _slowly_ growing on his nerves. He was going to have words with America and the others for the frustrating prank.

He pounded a fist onto one of the walls, wincing when the hard surface gave a sharp pressure to his hand as he withdrew it. No damage. He jiggled the door handle, and it reacted like concrete melded into a wall.

He took a step back and exhaled, turning his back to the door and staring at the three directions given to him. _I’ve already tried right._ The weight of the shard in his pocket felt heavier than before.

_Games were supposed to be fun…_

He was too old for this. Far too old. He was supposed to be enjoying tea and the sun and nature and all the animals that flocked to his house. Not chasing down his friends in a house.

He turned around and rested his back to the door. The middle hallway looked longer than the left, and he didn’t want to check the second floor until he had cleared the first. Keeping one hand on the wall, Japan made his way to the left.

Japan refused to blink as he passed by the veil of shadow between the light fixtures, exhaustion creeping in when he turned back to see it as dark as before. He took a step towards a door of identical design from earlier, feeling nothing when it was locked like the others.

Japan reached behind him for his bag, grasping the hilt of his tachi tightly and gently pulling it and the scabbard out. While he didn’t bring his weapon to meetings, it was always nestled along side his belongings in case of random outings. Even if he didn’t need to use it, its presence was comforting.

The place was definitely getting to him.

Hefting the bag up to his shoulders again, he strapped the scabbard to his waist as he turned the corner, hands working with muscle memory to tie and secure it. As the shadow covered his part of the hallway again, he heard something click in front of him and he hid himself in the veil of darkness.

He kicked himself to hold in the noise of surprise as his eyes found the source of the noise: in front of a door at the end of the hallway, a large, disfigured, gray creature that was as tall as the ceiling, the head monstrously larger than the body and hands that were the same size as Japan’s overall stature. One hand was pressed against the frame of the door, claws digging in as the body fit into the door – _somehow_ – and withdrawing, clicking it shut and leaving no marking that it had ever been there.

_W-what…_

His scabbard wasn’t tied yet. It was a miracle it stayed in his shaking hands. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears.

He focused on the other door off the hallway, a few paces away from the door that the thing disappeared into. _Maybe… I’m getting tired._

He secured the scabbard and slipped his way towards the door, relief surging through him when it was unlocked and he slipped in, silently closing the door behind him. The room itself was a simple bathroom with a toilet and sink, and just as unlived in and dustless as the other rooms.

He didn’t want to experiment with the tap in case something heard it, and he slipped out as silently as he slipped in.

_I… think I’m done with this hallway for now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A formal welcome to my HetaOni story. I thank you for taking the check this out - it means a lot to me.
> 
> Future chapters will have end notes giving a bit more detail to what events in the chapter, such as changes from the game(s) and this fanfic's version of it. I'll do my best to provide all information to minimize confusion from game differences.
> 
> I hope you stick around!


	3. 2: Elevation

The three-pronged hallway had never looked so relieving to see. Keeping his back pressed to the wall, Japan made his way towards the north hallway, one hand pressed lightly to the hilt of his sword as he passed the shadows separating the sections.

As the sound of his heartbeat ceased in his ears, he was struck with a sense of relief that the north section was as boring and plain as the other hallway. One predictably locked door on the right, and a large, empty section filled with nothing but tatami mats and curtains at the back.

_A western-styled house with Japanese influence._ The tatamis were silent underneath his steps and he wasn’t sure if the sound it would normally produce would’ve been appreciated at the moment. _An interesting aesthetic choice._ It even had the exterior hallway wall right down the middle. The entire interior was just _strange._

The curtains and drawers gave him nothing but more questions – the house was nigh empty with barely any evidence that there was someone living here. Everything had to be an elaborate prank – the hiding, the wine bottle, the running away. Maybe even that grotesque being he saw.

(Or he was just seeing things, which was less preferred considering his age, but he’d take it.)

Re-checking the door on the side to see if it had been unlocked (it hadn’t), he stepped back into the foyer, staring deadpan at the innocent door that was mocking him before heading up to the second floor.

To his simultaneous relief and disappointment, the décor was exactly the same: non-existent. Same bland cream colouring, same dull light fixtures. Truly the haunted house for the ages.

The lights weren’t as far apart as they were in the first floor so he could see the entire floor without passing through the shadows, at least. A quick check confirmed that there was at least one more floor and a total of 5 rooms.

Japan shifted his bag; while it wasn’t heavy, carrying it on him for hours at a time was tiring and he wasn’t naïve enough to just leave it somewhere. This house, haunted or not, had issues. He approached the north-east door first, instinct pushing at him to be on guard. Pushing the handle of the door, the light _click_ echoed and he moved the door enough to be able to take a glance into the room.

The room was more furnished than the entire first floor – a rug, a bookshelf and some drawers, and –

_A well-hidden curtain._ Sitting innocently at the corner, it blended in with the walls of the room, unmoving and as boring as the drab colouring of the walls. _How innocuous._

Instinct screamed at him to ignore the room for now, to check out the rest of the floor before taking a look at the perfectly-innocent curtain and he relented, quietly closing the door and slinking across the hall to the other door. Instinct kept him, his land, and his boss alive, and ignoring instinct was what led him to his current predicament in the first place.

The room parallel to the first door was also open and Japan dipped inside, taking a cursory glance around before checking the dressers and bookshelves for anything of significance. One of the drawers were locked no matter how hard he pulled and he eventually relented.

As he neared the door to leave, he caught the glimpse of a leather coil haphazardly thrown underneath the cover of the bed and as suspicion ran thick through him, he gently peeled the covers back.

_This is…_ He grasped the handle and pulled it off the bed, the coil dropping on the floor. _Germany’s whip._ Germany was meticulous with his belongings and questions were piling up faster than Japan could get answers. _I’d better take it with me._

He pressed his back to the door and coiled the whip on one hand. It made him uneasy, knowing that an ally out there was missing his favoured weapon before he pressed the concern to the back of his priorities.

A check showed that the hallway was still empty before bounding for the next door, disappointment stirring up when the door refused to open. Striding around the floor, the south-west and the door opposite from the first door he checked were also locked. The room parallel was open, though he yielded no results alongside another locked drawer.

He exhaled sharply in mild annoyance – some rooms were unlocked, the majority weren’t. What kind of insanity did one need to make navigating a house so frustrating? _No time to dwell._

Re-coiling the whip on his hand, he went back to the first room he checked, feeling more prepared with all the other possible rooms checked. It was still the same ghost place he had peeked into earlier and Japan focused his eyes in the general area of the curtain before seeing the off-coloured wall ornament. Silently stepping closer, he could pick up the softest of breathing and Japan readied the whip.

Tenderly grapping an edge of the curtain, tendrils of familiarity pushed at him, urging him to reveal what was behind it and for a moment he refused, wanting to take the chance to take a pre-emptive attack, but some sort of instinct – _memory_ – made him pause.

His instincts had yet to betray him in this place, paranoid or not.

He jerked the curtain and felt something lunge from behind and he ducked, left arm thrown forward to unravel the whip – the curtain flew over his head and Japan pulled on the whip, grunting in surprise when the form seemed to be holding it _back_. He reached for this sword –

“– _Japan?_ ”

The whip jerked away from him and Japan tumbled backwards, stumbling out from the curtain and glancing up at the figure.

“Germany-san,” Japan exhaled, backing away slightly and dropping his left arm, the right brushing away strands of hair from his face. “I apologize.”

“No, it’s alright – I’m sorry. I was on guard. I thought I recognized that stance,” Germany replied with a tight, subdued smile. “I thought I told you to stop being so recognizable.”

The light banter made Japan relax, shoulders unconsciously slumping in relief. “Forgive an old man for not adapting quite as well.” He tapped his fingers on the hilt of his sword, questions thrumming through his mind. “What happened? Where are the others?”

The smile faded from Germany’s face. “I’m… I’m not sure.” He frowned, eyes narrowing on a random spot on the floor. “Not long after you left, my brother and Italy saw something and panicked. They ran away and dragged me along.” Japan hummed, collecting the information silently. “At some point, we ended up getting separated. I didn’t manage to see what we were actually running from.” He looked away, staring blankly at the desks in the corner. “I hope they’re okay.”

Japan could return the sentiment. “We should search for them. Everything about this place seems… off.” This place was making him _paranoid_ ; the atmosphere was off-putting, there weren’t any natural answers, random disappearances – it was a haunted house in every sense and he hated it. “In addition to that, the front door was locked.”

Germany turned back to him. “That’s… concerning. What about the walls?”

Japan raised the hand he used to punch the wall earlier. “I tried physical force – not even a dent. I’m not too keen on using my weapon on it just yet.” Sharp or not, it was a sword for fighting, not demolition. “Something tells me we should find a way out as soon as possible.”

“I… see.”

Germany seemed to shrink into himself. “Are you alright? You seem pale.” Prodding wasn’t something Japan did often, but this was _Germany_.

“… Japan.” Germany shook his head and kicked the curtain away, stepping back to hide the contents of whatever was behind the it. “I’m sorry, but… there’s something I need to do in this room before looking for them.”

“Oh…?” _Interesting._ Despite the dubiousness of the statement and every evidence pointing to Germany being afraid, Japan felt the need to relent. “Very well then. If you say so.” He dipped his head to one side. “Should I go searching for them first?”

Germany bent down to pick up the whip in an attempt to look like he was inspecting it, but Japan could tell he was distracted. “Would you? I’d really appreciate that.”

He nodded. “Of course.” Tipping his head in the direction of the whip, he added, “that’s yours. It was laying in the other room.”

Germany’s eyes seemed to light up. “Thank you! I was searching for it. In fact –“ He paused, digging around in his pockets before pulling out something small and metallic, throwing it in Japan’s direction. “I found it while I was running,” he said to Japan’s silent question, “it’ll be of more use to you than me.”

Japan brushed his thumb over the key, smoothing out the paper clinging to the bow. _I – Library._ “Thank you, Germany-san.” He dropped his bag to the ground, eyebrows arching in surprise when Germany picked it up and wordlessly say he would take care of it, but said nothing. “I suggest you hurry with whatever it is you need to do.” The key felt like ice in his hand. “We must leave as soon as possible.”

_It’s certainly not the first time I’ve thought of the phrase._

Germany almost seemed angry – not at him, not at the bag, not at the whip; simply _angry_. “Agreed.”

 

\--------------

 

Japan eyed the hallways before swerving and making way to the east hall. The western hallway made him feel emotions that were only present during war, and the north door was farther away to be efficient in checking.

As he slipped a hand into a pocket to grab the key, he pulled on the handle to be sure it hadn't unlocked on him and sighed quietly when nothing happened. Slipping the key into the lock, the door gave a quiet _click_ that seemed to echo across the empty floor.

Japan slipped in and shut the door with another light click, grimacing at the small sound that sounded like a construction site. Pushing it to the back of his mind, he eyed the distinctly bright lights on the ceiling, eyes trailing downwards to the contents of the room.

The key did state it was a library, but he wasn't expecting one of _this_ size. It was practically a maze in the form of a public library. It was bigger than the Conference Room they used for national meetings.

He let a hand trail past the spines of the books, the bumps and ridges easing him into a comforting familiarity. _If I weren’t in such a hurry, I’d definitely leaf through them._

He recognized several languages all compiled into their own shelves, pausing as he spotted one dedicated to Japanese. His eyes caught a pile of pocketbooks, one of the them being one he had lost years ago during the Eastern Skirmish and never had the chance to re-read amongst all his other novels.

His hand gripped the book. Any rational thought refused to make him let go and leave it there.

_I… suppose one wouldn’t hurt._

The cover was worn with use, though Japan could tell it was a loved copy, and its presence was comforting enough that he let out a smile. Slipping the book into one of his pockets, he refused to take a closer look at the rest of the books and took a majority look around once more now that he was in a different position.

A table on the far left of the room held more books and scattered papers. On the side, a lit candle flickered in the windless room, sitting beside a plate with a single product on it.

_Onigiri. Perhaps I can bribe Prussia or Italy-san into showing up and give an explanation._

A single plate of onigiri in a clean, supposedly-occupied-unoccupied house. He felt a prick of paranoia run through him. _I’m getting old._ This was an irrational fear. He could take it, shout loud enough for South Italy to be proud, present them the bribe, and throw it as far as possible because this house most definitely had a problem.

Japan debated carrying it bare in his hand, but he had around four more napkins in his other pockets that likely were not going to be used after this escapade, so with a short shrug he pulled another one out and wrapped the onigiri by its base.

The candle flickered out and Japan shivered.

A single candle in a large room would barely provide any warmth in any room. _I’m being paranoid_.

The room shifted beneath his feet and Japan dropped the onigiri, hands clamping on the edge of the table and squeezing his eyes shut instinctively as books clattered to the ground around him. The table jerked violently and Japan lost his grip, hitting something solid _hard_ , eyes snapping open with shock and disorientation.

He blinked rapidly as he scrambled to pull himself up from the ground, leaning on the wall when a shadow towered over him.

Japan’s eyes snapped on the monster moving his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Eastern Skirmish:** This story is being written as if it’s 26 years into the future, I doubt the world won’t get into a bunch of fights. I’m being very optimistic here with it just being a skirmish. Make your own tale out of it if you wish.  
>  **Japan’s Book:** HetaOni vets will know the purpose of the book. Its contents are up to the viewer. How did it fit into his pockets? A reminder that Japan isn’t wearing his default outfit from the wiki/WWII/etc. He’s wearing something modern, whatever the hell that may be in 2045.


	4. Chapter 4

Fear wasn’t the emotion that sprung to heart when he lunged away, dodging the hands and claws and the books being thrown his way.

Despair surged up like a tsunami as he winced, roars from the Thing shaking the room as his sight unfocused and the world blurred around him, stumbling on the books and shelves blocking his path; it was dangerously hard to make a hard turn as he pressed his hands in front of him to prevent himself from running into a wall, pushing himself of it for another turn, avoiding the hand and sprinting to the door.

He rushed the door, hissing as the wind crackled like paper behind him and he pushed –

_Locked –_

Japan’s hands dove into his pockets, frantically searching as he eyed down the keyhole, hyper-aware of the monster lumbering behind him. _Key, key_ –

Japan choked as he was thrown into another wall, head stinging with pain as he focused his sight on the creature in front of him, sloppily pulling out his sword in an attempt to parry, grimacing as the hand attempted to pry the sword from his hands. _What’s with this abnormal strength!?_ He twisted the sword from its hand, throwing himself into an aggressive lunge to push it away.

 _I can’t win this – I have to run!_ The monster stumbled back as the blade sliced into its chest in rapid succession, black ichor dripping to the ground as Japan drew the blade black. _Now –_

Japan pushed the hilt of his blade to the wall to push himself away from it, ducking past the stumbling arm in its attempt to catch him ­– _as large as my whole body_ – as he went back into the newly-formed labyrinth of a library, climbing over the mounds of books and broken shelves, wincing from the hardcovers hitting hard as he raked his eyes around. _The key – it should be near the table, I lost it when I got thrown from the table –_

He lunged and rolled as a giant hand made to grab at him, ducking underneath a toppled shelf and attempting to crawl in it, grimacing as it roared again and slammed something on top of the shelf he was underneath. Exhaling sharply, Japan pushed himself out of the barricade and breaking into a sprint, eyes catching a metallic glint against the cheerful light.

One hand was numb, the other held his sword – making a choice, Japan rapidly sheathed the sword and dove for the key, landing on his chest on a pile of wood, choking out any excess breath he had as another set of books was thrown at where his head was.

His fingers grasped wildly at the key, brushing past the tape stuck to its bow. Pushing his stamina, he rolled over to his back and pushed himself up, exhaustion rapidly creeping in as he observed his surroundings – nearly every path was blocked off with books and toppled shelves that would take too long to scale and he couldn’t see the path beyond the Thing.

Something cracked and snapped above him and Japan threw himself into the monster’s vicinity, pushing the key between his teeth and pulling out his sword for another hit. The blood leaked around the floor and he slipped, the sword lodging itself into the wall to stop his impact.

 _No, no, no_ – He pulled it out, eyes going wide when the sword left no noticeable marking on the wall before the Thing _screeched_ and Japan pushed the sword onto the ground like a crutch, everything was shaking, everything was double what was _real_ –

A claw threw itself into his side and Japan _flew_ , wincing in pain as the key jammed against his mouth and the sword in his hand as a dull ache rapidly became sharp, rapid jabs into his side and his breaths became rapid and painful – _not again not again_ –

The monster lumbered towered him, one hand disturbingly wide and twitchy as Japan scrambled to pull himself up. His side was bleeding, one arm was near unresponsive, one ankle soaked with blood and Japan made eye contact with the monster.

_I… I –_

It was hard to breathe, it would be easier to simply stop, give in and accept –

(And what would Germany find, if he came looking for him? Italy, Prussia, his family?)

_No – I refuse to go down –_

His forced his numb hand to work, to _respond_ and he groped blindly at his pockets, ignoring the sharp sting of the shard he picked up and he turned and swung _hard_ , recoiling when it launched and he couldn’t stop the smug smile that peeled itself on his face when the Thing roared in obvious pain.

_– in a place like this!_

Hyper-sensitive to his surroundings – key in mouth, wounds everywhere, head-splitting screeching – Japan sprinted to the door, leaving behind the screaming being.

 

\--------------

 

“Are you sure this is the right direction?”

“Absolutely!”

“Ai-yah, better be. I already sent them a text with the promise of follow-up details on _your_ insistence.”

“For all we know, he just made it up and is leading us around because he can’t find a house that fits the description and is too prideful to say it.”

“I think it’d be good to have some faith. After all, isn’t this the whole point of finding the place? I’m sure the others back at the conference have faith in us to make sure this isn’t a hoax.”

 

\--------------

 

Japan could say with no hesitation that right now, he was quite faithless.

Mostly in regards to his well-being, but still faithless.

After a desperate run around the first floor to ensure nothing was following him, Japan let himself slump onto the wall of the base of the staircase, breathing sharply and quietly. Nothing had been yielded in the first floor, and while he knew he could check the second and later floors, he did _not_ have the energy and strength to deal with any more creatures that would appear from nowhere and disappear from everywhere.

He gently clamped a hand on his right arm, hissing quietly as pain flared from the injury. It hadn’t bled, but he didn’t need to take off the sleeve to know there would definitely be bruising from the multitude of impacts he’d taken. His side had stopped bleeding, though his clothing was bloody and sticking to it. His ankle, on the other hand…

Ripping fabric from his left sleeve, he wrapped and tied the black fabric against the injury; he’d left his bag with Germany, which had contained his own medicinal items, and the second floor felt more like a ghost town even with Germany’s presence.

Any denial he had about seeing things and being paranoid was chucked out the metaphorical window – his entire being _hurt_. It was comparable to the events that led to his country’s surrender 100 years ago, but still not reaching the exact same pain threshold.

He exhaled more gently, pressing one eye shut. He _needed_ to find Italy and Prussia – that was priority one. Priority two was escaping. Priority three could be sorted out later. To get going with priority one, he needed more access to the house. To get more access, he needed, at the very least, his sword.

Further exploration was mandatory. He needed to explore more, or at the very least, be more daring. And if that involved going back to the library, then so be it. He thought of involving Germany, but…

Germany… would not be able to join him. When he had said he wanted to finish whatever was in that place, he knew the man wouldn’t be dissuaded, and for some reason Japan knew it was important.

That meant going back to the library alone.

The very thought made him grimace. The library was a mess and that monster likely had a fit after seeing its prey get away. His sword could be anywhere under that chaos.

He pushed himself off the wall, exhaling in relief when his leg didn’t burn in pain anymore. The healing process was still slower than normal, but for now it had to do. Delaying it would only cause him problems down the line.

Standing in front of the library’s door, he couldn’t help but wish for another weapon or shard he had earlier, but he had no idea if he was going to be jumped the moment he stepped foot in there.

_No time to dawdle._

He eyed the room for a moment, and when he saw nothing from his spot by the door, he steeled himself and entered, leaving the door open and the key clutched tightly in his hand. He was expecting chaos, black and red blood, a ravaged battlefield.

Not a perfectly clean and organized library, the exact same way it had been before he was attacked.

The books were sorted into the same shelves and organized by language, the shelves were lined up perfectly against the wall and rows. There was no blood of any colour anywhere, the walls and floors were spotless, no papers strewn around. Not a sign anything had ever happened.

With immense caution, Japan made his way towards the table in the far left. The candle was re-lit, but the onigiri was gone. Across the table sat his sword, perfectly parallel to the edge of the table with a brass key sitting innocently beside it.

This place was driving him crazy. Absolutely insane. There was no way the library could look spotless after the mess he left behind. That key wasn’t there before. His sword should be missing.

Japan pressed his back to a shelf and pressed the palm of a hand to one of his eyes, easing the incoming migraine and forcing himself to take even breaths. Having a breakdown right now would end poorly. He could have that after they got out.

He composed himself and took several measured steps to the table, eyes darting around as precaution, laying a hand on the hilt of the blade and the other poking the edges of the key before slowly grabbing the sword and swiping the key and backtracking to the door that miraculously remained open and kicking it shut behind him, resting his back on the door.

The weight of his weapon was immensely comforting as he returned it to its sheath and he retreated to the base of the staircase before unclenching his hand and inspecting the brass key. Just like the key he had received from Germany, a piece of tape was stuck to its bow with words scribbled on. _IV – Storage._

 _Oh_. There was a fourth floor and he hadn’t even seen the third floor yet, and he needed to prepare for that. He stretched an arm, wincing slightly as pain jolted through the limb. The healing process was longer than he was anticipating. There were all sorts of reasons why the personification of a country’s healing was slowed, and it was all related to the country’s overall health.

Japan was quite sure his country was not threatening to crumble at the moment.

He was credited with being one of the more observant Nations, and that didn’t come from nowhere. He’d seen the recovery of injuries of his and other people in contrast to a Nation’s, and he did not like how that one point of knowledge connected to another.

_This… was a terrible idea._

 

\--------------

 

He made a quick visit to Germany before visiting the third and fourth floors; it involved cautiously peeking behind a curtain, a scolding, and the knowledge to always keep his medicine on him.

The third floor had three doors and all were locked, much to his frustration. He didn’t bother attempting to slot either of the keys he’d obtained in the lock in case they got stuck and simply simmered in his annoyance as he ascended to the fourth floor.

Japan took his cursory glance around. One door to his left, and a wall obscuring something to his back-right. Fishing out the brass key from his pockets, he tried the door to his left to no avail before turning to the area that the wall obscured. Another door. _Of course it is_. Slipping the key in and hearing the satisfying click, he peered in and stepped into the room.

‘Storage’ was an apt name, if a little underwhelming. He had questions about the throne-like seat at the edge of the room but otherwise ignored it and checked the furniture shoved around the room.

The desks had nothing hidden underneath, the curtain by one side was attached to a wall that had nothing behind it and the cluster of chairs surrounding a lone table on the other corner of the room only wasted his time.

He took a step toward the bookshelf in the final corner of the room when he heard a squeak come from its direction, eyes focused on the fact that the bookshelf wasn’t completely pushed to the corner. The squeaking’s frequency increased as he came closer and he pushed the bookshelf to the side.

Japan blinked. “Are you stuck?”

The mochi’s glasses shined as it nodded vigorously and Japan crouched to see what it had gotten stuck into. All he could see was the white, squishy body elevating off something circular, tight enough that he couldn’t stick his hands by the edge to push it out.

He tried to pull instead, resulting in nothing but the mochi frowning at him as he tried twice more. “Ah…” Japan sat back, forlornly looking at the mochi, “it’s not use. I can’t get you out.” Somehow, the mochi looked even sadder. “You poor thing…”

It squeaked again. _I need to find the others, but…_ “I think Germany-san might be able to help. I’ll go ask him,” he told the mochi, standing up tapping its head with a finger. “I’ll be right back.”

_I don’t have any leads at the moment. Maybe the mochi has something, and Germany-san can deal with getting it out while I try to figure out the other locked doors._

He rushed down to the second floor, knocking in a pattern to alert his presence to Germany. As he stepped in, he didn’t see Germany come out from his location, instead seeing a –

“Is that a stone door?” Japan found himself asking. A stone door was ridiculous, it didn’t seem like it would swing open, and he swore it wasn’t there before, leading him to wonder where it came from.

The sound of items clinking and being shifted around stopped. “Japan, is that you?” The door rumbled slightly. Japan took a cautionary step back. “What’s the matter?”

“There’s a mochi stuck inside a room on the fourth floor,” he replied. He swore he could hear Germany say something in response, though it was low enough he couldn’t hear it. “I don’t have any other leads right now, and maybe it has some answers.” _As odd as it sounds_. “I also feel a little sorry for it, so I was wondering if you could help me get it out.”

Germany’s voice came out muffled from the stone door. “I… see. I can lend a hand. But first, I also have a favor I’d like to ask you.”

“Of course, if it’s something I can do.”

“Could you please bring me supplies and refreshments? Food and water?”

Japan was going to have his hearing checked after this. “… _Food?_ ”

“A-ah, er… yes.” Germany sounded sheepish, voice lowering and even harder to hear from the barrier. “You see, I – uh – all the running I did earlier made me a little hungry.”

“I… of course.” He was wondering just how much of an influence Italy was on Germany. “How –“

“I-I mean! _Really_ hungry!” Germany sounded _embarrassed_ and Japan couldn’t help but wonder for one, wishful moment if this was all a dream. “Not just a little! So, uh, I’d appreciate it if you could bring a large amount of food! Yes?”

He figured now was a good time to deploy the ‘ask questions later’ tactic. “All right,” he said, “I still need to search for Italy-san and Prussia-kun, anyway.”

“Yes! I see! Thank you!” His friend was starting to sound… less sane.

Japan faked a cough, quieting Germany’s incessant replies. “You still have my bag, right? Can you hand it to me so I can store food in there?”

“Ah, right, of course.” The stone door was _pulled up_ as Germany partially slid out from underneath it, Japan’s bag in his hand. “I also placed some beer in there, if you don’t mind.”

“ _Beer_ , Germany-san?” He questioned, taking the straps in one hand and checking the contents. Some of his personal food, cloth that had been stripped into pieces for bandages, a pair of cat ears tossed his way from the meeting, and three bottles of beer.

Germany slowly slid back into his hiding place. “It’s… hard to explain. I think it will help.”

“Er… Regardless, thank you very much.” He bowed out of habit as the door slid closed. “Well, then, I’ll be going.”

The sound of things being hammered responded him as Germany’s voice barely made it above the ruckus. “Okay, thanks.”

 _I…_ This house was making everyone go crazy. All he could hope was that Italy and Prussia were fine. _To the kitchen, I suppose._

 

\--------------

 

The kitchen was untouched as ever, except the remnants of the wine bottle had disappeared; liquid, small shards and all.

He wasn’t going to think too hard on that. Everything was already giving him a migraine.

He approached the box of sealed vegetables and carefully slid the wood-and-plastic lid off, setting it on the ground. _These look fresh_. There were vegetables from practically every country in the box in multiple quantities, stocking up on the more commonly-used and most popular from each continent. He did the same with the fruit box and the bread shelves. _To stock up on so much food… it’s something America would do._

The though of his western friend made Japan physically stop. _Where **are** they?_ They were supposed to be the first here, and they gave the Allies ample time. China had even messaged them that they were ‘supposedly close’. _Hurt and in hiding? A truly elaborate prank?_ Maybe even lost. Part of Japan wished for the latter, because as frustrating as it was, this house was out to kill them. _I can think about that later._

He turned the tap on the sink, staring blankly when nothing came out and re-tried it. _I suppose I’ll need to search elsewhere for water._ _Where… Ah, yes_. The room in the west hallway that he entered was a bathroom. He could only hope that the sink there was working. _And that nothing is in there._

As he passed through the hallways, he pressed a hand on the handle of the locked doors, humming impassively when they were still locked. Slinking into the shadows between the areas, he watched carefully as he entered the bathroom, nothing that nothing was present in the door that had been entered by the monster earlier.

His steps echoed lightly in the tiled bathroom as he entered and he shut the door behind him before approaching the sink. The water spouted like a waterfall when he turned the tap, noting the light discolouration – it was water, but it definitely was _not_ filtered. _Should I_ … He peered around the wall, staring briefly at the toilet before grimacing and taking a few reusable bottles out. _Never mind._ _Why did I even consider_ …

Japan was re-thinking his thought process as he stepped out the door. He turned his gaze towards the ajar northern door as a cursory glance before stepping back to the shadows.

_Ajar._

Japan gripped his sword. It clearly moved around, and he did tell himself earlier he needed to explore more. The lights were on, though from his position, he couldn’t see anything past the door. _I know better, now._ He pulled a portion of the blade out, enough for him to have the advantage in a battle.

He silently slipped into the room, closing the door behind him, grip on his sword never faltering. His eyes narrowed as he took in its appearance – a small bathing room, with mirrors on both end and a bath tub on the left side.

He spotted something silver on the basin of the left sink and approached it.

The lights shut off. Japan pressed his back to a wall.

On. Off. On. Off.

 _…Off. Where was the switch…?_ He reached blindly around the walls, flicking the switch he had spotted briefly before the lights flickered.

He dodged before his mind caught up, sword already unsheathed as the Thing attempted to bulrush him into a wall. He danced around it, stepping carefully around the tiles and debris that now occupied half the room. Japan’s emotions surged as it tried to swat at him as it had done in the library, and anger was at the forefront of it.

_Not – **again**_ **.**

He went in for a slash and it caught between the claws of one hand and he pivoted, keeping the sword on him as he parried the other hand coming his way, bringing both hands in the same vicinity before he sliced sideways, the wrists tearing open in a violent spray of black.

The roar it let it out was deafening and some part of Japan felt incredibly satisfied as he stopped to a roll and dashed at it while it screeched, maneuvering past the blind swatting as he sliced at one of the mirrors, letting glass shards pierce parts of its skin.

It rushed him again, the blood leaving a dark trail on the floor and Japan winced as one of the claws scraped at his arm and he felt the sharp tips dig lightly into his skin and mark it as he took initiative and twisted for another slice for the nape of the neck.

He dug in and felt something hard; anger blazed through him as he two-handed his sword and twisted it _hard_ , hearing the satisfying snap of what he assumed was bone echo in the room as it lurched backward and yelled out another piercing screech.

His mind raced as he dived for the glass shards he had broken earlier. _How did I –_ It turned violently to face him, dust clouding its lower half and Japan ignored the pain bursting through his hand as he took a fistful and threw it in its face, mind racing as the glass hit its forehead and spread dust into its eyes and it wailed, shaking the room as Japan’s mind raced.

 _Ah_ – _yes –_

Japan pressed himself against the wall and summoned as much speed as he could, jumping and pressing his sword onto the hands that pressed itself in his direction to ward him off and using the extra momentum to reach its head. He drew his sword up as its eyes cleared.

He sunk the sword down into its forehead as the shiny dark eyes stared into him and it _shrieked_ as something swatted him away and the sword was forcibly pulled from its forehead. Japan turned and rolled awkwardly to a stop as it stared at him with wide, dark eyes just as the lights went out.

It screeched again and Japan held his sword with two hands again, eyes darting blindly around as he awaited the monster to return –

The lights clicked on.

The monster was gone.

The bathroom looked as if nothing had ever happened. The mirrors were intact, the tiles were all inlaid, the walls lacking any scratches from the skirmish. The silver key he saw earlier still sat innocently on the basin of the left sink. The only evidence something had happened at all was him and his injuries.

Japan approached the switch and hesitantly flicked it on and off.

The room was still the same. No monster to ambush him out of nowhere.

 _It wasn’t here when I came in. It only showed up when the lights were off, meaning…_ Japan reached for the door handle, craning his head slightly to see that the door had been left open, while he was sure that he closed it.

 _…Ah._ He stepped to the sink and grabbed the key while keeping an eye on the door, thoughts blazing a path to a clear answer. _It can’t enter show up in a room that has one of us in it already – it has to get in via natural means._ His right hand twitched as he shoved his new key down the pocket containing the others. _I was **careless**._

Japan exhaled lowly and sharply, counting to ten in an anachronic order. _Getting worked up without a proper outlet is not ideal._ He exited the bathroom, closing it behind him and leaning against it as he checked his bag to ensure its contents were safe while keeping an eye on the hallway before pulling out the key. _II – Bedroom_. Three of the rooms in the second floor were locked. There was a chance one of them locked themselves in a room and purposefully refused to leave.

 _… Italy must be scared. I’m worried about him._ Prussia could take care of himself quite well, even if he was more likely to be in danger due to his status as a former Nation.

Japan slipped the bag onto his shoulders and stood straight, keeping his sword in his hand.

_I need to hurry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It _is >_ possible to find the key and escaping without a fight, but why would I do that when I replayed the game and forgot about the key thing and got him killed?  
> This was supposed to be longer, but circumstances and chapter events made me cut it for its own part.

**Author's Note:**

> _\- over a thousand years._


End file.
